diff --git a/.github/workflows/pull-build-image-autobumper.yaml b/.github/workflows/build-image-autobumper.yaml
similarity index 67%
rename from .github/workflows/pull-build-image-autobumper.yaml
rename to .github/workflows/build-image-autobumper.yaml
index 7457be849462..a31812aaaed7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pull-build-image-autobumper.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-image-autobumper.yaml
@@ -1,12 +1,21 @@
 name: pull-build-image-autobumper
 on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+    paths:
+      - 'cmd/image-autobumper/**'
+      - 'go.mod'
+      - 'go.sum'
+      - "pkg/**"
   pull_request_target:
-    types: [ opened, edited, synchronize, reopened, ready_for_review ]
+    types: [ opened, synchronize, reopened, ready_for_review ]
     paths:
-      - 'cmd/image-autobumper/Dockerfile'
       - 'cmd/image-autobumper/**'
       - "go.mod"
       - "go.sum"
+      - "pkg/**"
+  workflow_dispatch: {}
 
 jobs:
   build-image:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/push-build-image-autobumper.yaml b/.github/workflows/push-build-image-autobumper.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 95053c60bf00..000000000000
--- a/.github/workflows/push-build-image-autobumper.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,25 +0,0 @@
-name: push-build-image-autobumper
-on:
-  push:
-    branches:
-      - main
-    paths:
-      - 'cmd/image-autobumper/Dockerfile'
-      - 'cmd/image-autobumper/**'
-      - 'go.mod'
-      - 'go.sum'
-  workflow_dispatch: {}
-
-jobs:
-  build-image:
-    uses: ./.github/workflows/image-builder.yml
-    with:
-      name: image-autobumper
-      dockerfile: cmd/image-autobumper/Dockerfile
-      context: .
-  print-image:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    needs: build-image
-    steps:
-      - name: Print image
-        run: echo "Image built ${{ needs.build-image.outputs.images }}"
diff --git a/pkg/github/bumper/bumper.go b/pkg/github/bumper/bumper.go
index a20e5750c415..7fb6899abec4 100644
--- a/pkg/github/bumper/bumper.go
+++ b/pkg/github/bumper/bumper.go
@@ -115,9 +115,13 @@ func gitPush(remote, remoteBranch, baseBranch string, repo *git.Repository, auth
 	}
 
 	// Get the remote head commit
+	var remoteRefHash plumbing.Hash
 	remoteRef, err := repo.Reference(plumbing.NewRemoteReferenceName(forkRemoteName, remoteBranch), true)
-	if err != nil {
+	// Ignore the error if the remote branch does not exist
+	if err != nil && err != plumbing.ErrReferenceNotFound {
 		return fmt.Errorf("get remote reference: %w", err)
+	} else {
+		remoteRefHash = remoteRef.Hash()
 	}
 
 	// Get the local head commit
@@ -127,13 +131,13 @@ func gitPush(remote, remoteBranch, baseBranch string, repo *git.Repository, auth
 	}
 
 	// Check if the remote head commit is the same as the local head commit
-	if remoteRef.Hash() == localRef.Hash() {
+	if remoteRefHash == localRef.Hash() {
 		logrus.Info("Remote is up to date, quitting.")
 		return nil
 	}
 
 	if dryrun {
-		logrus.Infof("[Dryrun] Pushing to %s %s", remote, remoteRef.Name())
+		logrus.Infof("[Dryrun] Pushing to %s refs/heads/%s", remote, remoteBranch)
 		return nil
 	}
 
@@ -144,6 +148,7 @@ func gitPush(remote, remoteBranch, baseBranch string, repo *git.Repository, auth
 	refSpecString := fmt.Sprintf("+%s:refs/heads/%s", localRef.Name(), remoteBranch)
 	logrus.Infof("Pushing changes using %s refspec", refSpecString)
 	err = repo.Push(&git.PushOptions{
+		Force:      true,
 		RemoteName: forkRemoteName,
 		RefSpecs: []config.RefSpec{
 			config.RefSpec(refSpecString),